Support from a Stranger
by Mitzia
Summary: Support comes in all shapes and sizes from the weirdest places and Marinette finds it from a blonde man in a cat costume on the night she is stood up by her boyfriend, Nathaneal, on their second anniversary. As Nathaneal becomes more and more distant towards her, Marinette seeks comfort from the mysterious cat, but who is he really? And what is Nathaneal doing behind the scenes?
1. Chapter 1

I stretched my arms wide over my head as I finish putting the last dress on display of the shop. I adjusted the ruffles on the baby pink and pearl white strapless dress before I return to the back to put my sewing supplies away. It had been a normal day at the store where I tried to finish the designs that have been in the works for ages now and tended to customers who wanted to try on each and every dress on display. It was so humbling to know how many people loved my designs and wanted to compliment them, even if they couldn't afford to buy them at the time. Everyone says I should submit my designs to global fashion shows, but being grounded here in Paris is good enough for me. The fact that I can own my own fashion store is living the dream as it is and I didn't need any more.

"Marinette! Where are you?!"

I peeked my head out of the back room when the bell on top of the door rang. It was after hours, but I knew that booming voice anywhere, especially when I have to hear it everyday.

"Back here, Alya!"

The loud steps of her sneakers followed after and she stood in front of the doorway. She put her hand on the frame and slumped against it, completely out of breath. She glanced down at her phone that was never out of her hand and turned it on. To be honest, the fact that it was off was a little surprising.

"Gee, Alya, you look like you just saw a ghost," I joked as I folded up the fabric on the sewing table to put back in its shelf.

"No, not a ghost; something better!"

"What?"

"Look at this!"

Alya shoved her phone in my face and I saw a picture of a beautiful diamond engagement ring in a rouge velvet box. "A ring?"

"No, wait, yes. But it's not just any ring; it's your ring!"

"I don't have any rings. You know they get in the way of my sewing," I said.

Alya raised an eyebrow at me and leaned more comfortably against the doorway with her hands crossed over her chest. "Really now? You're so bad at taking hints," she sighed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"What day is today?" she asked out of nowhere.

"It's the seventh."

"And what's so special about the seventh?"

"It's me and Nathaneal's second anniversary. You know that more than anyone."

Nathaneal and I have been together for two years now. I still remember the day he talked to me at the Eiffel Tower on the day of our high school graduation. The whole class went there for a picnic of sorts to hang out all together one last time and say our goodbyes as most of us went to college or to go study abroad. It was getting late at night but I couldn't stop staring at the starry sky beyond the tower. The world was so big and there was so much to explore, but I couldn't imagine leaving Paris. I had made plans to work on my career as a fashion designer. During high school, I managed to make enough of a name for myself from winning design contests for people like Gabriel Agreste and rockstar Jagged Stone. All I needed to do was put myself out there and I was fully prepared to do that, but I still had to wonder what I could be missing in this great big world of ours.

"It's a beautiful night tonight."

I turned around and Nathaneal was behind me, looking up at the sky.

"Yes, it is. Did everyone leave?" I asked. It had gotten considerably quieter, but I didn't bother to look for my former classmates.

"Most of them did. Others are stargazing too. How come you're not with them?" he asked me. He sat down next to me, but we didn't make eye contact.

"I'm just thinking about the future, I guess. I don't know, I guess graduating hasn't officially set in yet," I muttered. I sighed and brought my knees to my chest.

"Yeah, I can't believe it's real either," he chuckled to himself.

"I just...wonder what everyone will do while I'm here. Everyone is so talented that I'll probably hear them on the news, especially if Alya becomes a journalist. But..." I sighed and rested my head between my knees. I couldn't even find the words to describe how I felt. I should be happy, not only for me, but for everyone. But, I wasn't. I felt empty and as if when I wake up tomorrow, it'll be lonely.

"But you're scared."

I look over to Nathaneal for the first time since he sat down. He still doesn't meet my gaze, but he leans back on his hands and continues to look at the sky, his scarlet hair falling away from his eyes. "I'm scared, too. I keep wondering if after all these years of hiding in the back of the classroom that I'll be stored away in the back of everyone's mind. But, no matter how lonely that is, I know that we all made some amazing memories together and that we'll make plenty more. Who knows, maybe we'll all be reunited someday. This isn't the end, Marinette. If anything, it's just the beginning." He looks over and shows me a gentle smile. I feel a slight blush crawl up to my cheeks and thank the stars for not shining brightly enough for him to notice.

"What are you planning to do after tonight? After the graduation vibe blows over, I mean," I asked.

"I might go to an art school to study more, but really, I just want to work on my drawings and paintings. Being a lone wolf suits me better, I think, and I do my best work when I'm inspired rather than being tasked to. I guess I'm just as clueless as you are," he said.

"I want to open my own fashion boutique," I said softly. It was always my dream and my best talent to design fashion.

"That sounds like a great idea. Maybe I'll come visit sometime," Nathaneal smiled.

I turned to him with a big smile on my face. "Would you really?" I asked. Nathaneal smiled back and nodded.

For the next few months, Nathaneal and I stayed in contact virtually everyday. He decided against going to art school to spend more time on his artwork like he said which did him a lot of good because some of his pieces made it into art shows occasionally. When I got the shop up and running thanks to the money I made from selling clothes and from my parents, Nathaneal kept his word and visited me everyday. We quickly became a lot closer than we were in high school and made it a point to go out to lunch everyday to discuss work. I would help critique his work and he would usually give me tips on color coordination in my clothes. Everything between us was very comfortable until one day when we went to the park for lunch.

He was very on edge and didn't make eye contact like he had something to say. I didn't want to pry, so we sat in silence for what felt like an eternity. Suddenly, he turned to me. His head was low and his bangs covered his eyes like they usually did. "Marinette..." he stuttered.

"Is everything alright, Nathaneal?" I asked.

He took a deep breath and looked up at me. "Well, yes. Everything is alright. I just...have something I want to tell you." I didn't respond and he continued. "Ever since high school, I had...an attachment to you. You really are something else. Whenever someone had a problem, you would be there for them, even if you weren't on the best terms with them. Your smile lights up everyone's day and you always put forth your best effort in everything you do. Seeing you work the store proves that and it embodies everything you work so hard for. There aren't many people like you in this world and being your friend is a huge honor. But...I've come to realize that you're my biggest inspiration and I've been finding myself wanting to be selfish and have you all to myself. I know this is sudden and all, but I wanted to tell you that...I love you, Marinette."

I had no idea what to say and I hated that. My heart was pounding and my eyes felt teary from that heartfelt confession. I wanted to find the words to answer him and end the silence that must be hurting him.

"Nathaneal..."

"If you never want to see me again, I'll understand," he mutters.

"No! That's not what I want at all! In fact...I love you too, Nathaneal."

His head shoots up and one wide eye is uncovered by his hair. "You do?"

"Whenever I feel insecure or lonely, you're always there to cheer me up. You constantly help me make the boutique the best that it can be with your feedback and kept the promise you made on graduation night."

"You...remembered that?"

"Of course I did. When you sat with me, I felt something change. Maybe it was love. All I know for sure is I couldn't have made it this far without you by my side."

He continues to look at me in awe before he envelopes me into a hug. "I can't believe it," he mutters into my ear.

Within the next month, Nathaneal moved in with me in my apartment above the store. We decided to help each other out with our careers and Nathaneal helps me design clothes while I model for paintings. There are several paintings of me and us together scattered on the walls of our apartment and a few in the store.

"So what are you planning to do on this anniversary?" Alya asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"We're going to dinner at that new Italian restaurant down the road," I answered.

"That sounds fancy; fancy like this ring!" She shows me her phone again.

"You can't possibly think that Nathaneal is going to propose to me." Alya raises her eyebrows at me again and doesn't reply. I look away from her and put my hand on the sewing table. "He wouldn't."

"Are you saying he doesn't love you?"

"Of course not! He loves me," I said.

"Then why wouldn't he propose to you?" she asked.

I can't find a plausible answer and her assumption takes over my thoughts. "Oh my god."

Alya takes a step forward and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Congrats, girl," she smiles brightly.

I smile back at her even though I feel butterflies nesting in my stomach.

Is it finally happening?

* * *

 **Author's Note  
**

 **Welcome to my second ML fic! Since my first AU was well received, I decided I'm not the worst ML writer and came up with another one XD I'm not sure how long this one will be, but I promise you things are going to get crazy later on. You'll just have to wait and see what happens ^w^ I hope you enjoyed this first chapter!**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Alya, what am I going to do?" I ask.

"Put on a fabulous dress and meet up with your future husband is what you're going to do," she said.

I placed my hand on the sewing table for support and took a deep breath. Her realization clouds my mind and all I can think about is any signs Nathanael gave off to signal this alleged action. He hasn't been acting all that differently lately. He helps around the shop like he normally does and eats with me and watches movies with me. Nathanael would definitely be nervous about this. This is a life-changing decision for both of us. Wouldn't he be extra cautious around me like he was back in high school?

"Girl, you're stalling. Your future is going to come whether you like it or not," Alya said. She put on hand on my shoulder and used the other to envelop the hand that was glued to the table. "Come on, I'll make sure you look stunning."

Alya guiding me up the stairs fast enough that she wasn't pushing me, but wasn't letting me slack behind her from my shock. She knew exactly where everything was in the house floor of the boutique, so there was no need for me to give out directions, nor would I even be able to bark out commands in my state. She led us into my dressing room where I kept all of the clothes I made especially for me.

I suppose now I should be designing a wedding dress...

"Let's give you something that he'd drool over before the rain hits it," Alya mumbled to herself.

"Rain?"

"Didn't you hear? It's supposed to rain tonight," Alya said as she searched through my closet. "Don't worry too much about it. It'll probably pass while you're wining and dining." I could hear the smile in her voice.

While she searched, I sat down on a light pink chaise in the corner of the room. I still couldn't shake off the feeling that I'll be engaged within the night. My left hand flexed and turned in the dim light of the room and I did my best to imagine a small shimmering stone on it.

I sighed as my gaze shifted to my reflection in the wall mirror. "You're getting married, Marinette," I said aloud. I chuckled at how childish it sounded, like I was playing House as a little girl and was getting ready to marry the neighborhood boy for maybe an hour at most before it was time to eat dinner. No, Nathanael wasn't some neighborhood boy. He was my boy. He will be my husband.

"This feels weird, saying I'm his wife," I said to Alya.

"Well, you're not official yet. When he gets down on his knee, I'm sure you'll feel right then."

I stared intently at my reflection. "I hope you're ri-"

"Aha! This is perfect!"

The reporter spun around with a red strapless dress decorated with black felt spots. It had a loose skirt so that when you spin around, it looks like a ladybug taking off. It was one of my favorite designs, but I never wore it for some reason.

Now's the chance to, I suppose.

Alya looked down at her watch. "We better hurry. Don't want Picasso to wait up, do we?" she smirked.

"You know he hates when you call him that," I smiled back. Her playfulness was contagious as always.

"So what? He's like a modern Picasso anyways, so what's the harm in it?"

"Whatever. I'll put on the dress and you'll do my make-up, right?"

"And hair. Don't forget the hair."

"Right."

* * *

"And voila. Perfection!"

Alya took a step back and without wasting a second, took picture after picture on her phone of me in as many angles as possible.

"Alya, this isn't a crime scene. You don't need to take so many pictures!" I held my hand over my face since her flash was too close for comfort.

"Uh uh. No way. This is your big day, Mari! I'm gonna capture it for years to come. You'll thank me later."

After her spiel, she finally moved away from the mirror and I could check myself out. The dress clung nicely to my waist and fanned out around my hips. My torso turned side to side and it swayed like a wind chime in the summer breeze. Alya did wonders with my hair, putting it in a top bun with a ladybug hair clip on one side and a paintbrush on the other. That one was Nathanael's favorite.

Alya gripped my hand and smiled at me. "Are you ready for this?" she asked.

My eyes darted away for a second, but I met her brown-eyed gaze and smiled back with the red lips she painted on. "I think so."

"Well, that's as good an answer as any. Go get him, tiger," she winked.

I nodded back at her and finally stood up from the chaise. I slipped on matching red heels and gave her one final hug before exiting the shop. Alya knew how to lock up if she decided to leave. Knowing her, she'd probably greet us at the door for the latest details if we don't text her beforehand. Even then, she probably wouldn't leave. Sometimes I forget she has an apartment for herself and maybe she does, too.

I walked to the restaurant since it would be stupid to get a cab for three blocks. The air was a bit humid from the supposed oncoming rain, but nothing too much to bear. The street lights illuminated the sidewalk and the small gardens the neighbors invested so much time in. The flowers looked like they were glowing and lightning bugs began to come out to play. It looked like something out of a fairytale. Paris always seemed magical enough to me, even when I was a little kid.

The sounds of laughter and conversation came into earshot as I walked closer to the window of the restaurant. I peered in to find Nathanael seated already, but I only saw other couples and small families enjoying meals together. It was enough to make me smile. I always love seeing people so happy together doing something as simple as enjoying a meal. It was so humbling and reminded me of my own parents.

Instead of standing around and waiting for the rain to come, I entered the restaurant. The smell of bread and pasta sauce and spices attacked my nose in a pleasant combination. I took an extra deep breath just to take it all in.

A woman with long brown hair came to the waiter's podium. "May I help you?" she asked.

"Um, yes. I have a reservation for two tonight under Dupain-Cheng," I said as eloquently as possible.

The waitress scowled and looked past me. "I only see one of you," she said.

"Um, he's not here yet, I guess," I smiled awkwardly. This girl did not seem to like me.

She rolled her olive green eyes and took a menu from the podium. "Follow me, then." She spun on her heels and her brown hair trailed behind her like a tail. It must be a pain to brush it every morning.

She guided me to a secluded table near one of the restaurant windows and handed me the menu. "My name is Lila and I'll be your server tonight. What would you like to drink?" she asked. It was obvious by her tone that she did not like her job.

"Water, please," I said.

"I'll be back soon," Lila said before leaving for another table.

I nodded and stared out the window. It was getting darker faster, so it was harder to see out into the street. I could see my reflection more clearly and moved stray hairs back underneath my bun. I looked at the tables around me and everyone was enjoying their time with their loved ones. I didn't spot the infamous orange hair of Nathanael in case I was seated away from him. I took my phone out of my ladybug shaped purse and left him a message.

 _"Hey Nate. I'm at the restaurant now and Alya said it's supposed to rain. Hope you get here safely and dry :) ~Mari"_

"Here." Lila's voice brought my attention back to the real world as she set a glass of water on a coaster. "Have you decided what you want to eat?" she asked.

"Uh, no. I'll wait to order when my date gets here." It would be rude to eat at the new restaurant without him, especially if he's just a little late.

"Well, I'll be around if you change your mind."

I fiddled with my fingertips to pass the time and look up occasionally to find Nathanael. It wasn't like him to be this late. I checked my phone for a new message, but my text hasn't even been read yet. Maybe he was held up working? But, why wouldn't he check on me?

A crash of thunder erupted in the distance and heavy rain suddenly poured onto the streets like a faucet being turned all the way. The droplets swept across the glass and obscured the reflection of the inside of the restaurant. All I could see now were these droplets of light on a dark but shiny canvas. I'm sure Nathanael would love to see it or paint a replica of it.

Five minutes of staring at the rain turned into a half hour which turned into an hour. Lila tapped me on the shoulder as she made her rounds busting tables. "I don't think he's coming," she said.

I checked my phone one last time and there was no new notification on the screen. I smiled at it and stood up from my seat. My legs stuck to it pretty well from not moving in hours. "I guess you're right. Have a good night, Lila." I placed a tip on the table next to my empty glass of water and showed myself to the door.

The rain was still heavy, but I walked out with bare shoulders and legs. My heels slide in the puddles and I almost fell from trying to run down the street. I knew it was the opposite direction of the shop, of our apartment, but I just needed to go where my legs took me. I didn't care anymore. My hair came out of its bun and clung to my face in damp clumps. I could feel my makeup wipe off from the rain or was it my tears. Was I crying? My face was so wet that I couldn't tell.

As I ran, my heel got caught in a pothole and I tripped into a puddle.

"Are you okay?!"

I turned sharply over my shoulder as someone with a flashlight approached me. From their voice, it sounded like a man. He knelt down next to me and looked at my ankle that was engulfed in the water. "It looks like you broke it," he said.

"My ankle?!" I squealed.

"No, no, your shoe. The heel is broken off. Here."

The man slid my shoe off my foot and broke the dangling heel off. "It was coming off anyway. Now it's a clean cut so you can fix it."

He handed me my shoe and I got a better look at him. He had messy blonde hair that was getting drenched in the rain, but the weird thing was his outfit. It was a black full body suit and a mask covered the upper part of his face. His striking green eyes were visible and glowed like a nightlight. On top of his head was a pair of matching black cat ears. I've never seen an outfit quick like that away from a fashion studio or TV show.

"You don't have an umbrella, do you? You're soaked," he finally said.

"Huh? Oh, no," I muttered.

"Here, take mine." He reached into a pocket on his belt and handed me a black umbrella.

"Don't you need it? I shouldn't take it," I gently protested.

"Nah, you can have it. I can't possibly be dry if there's a damsel in need close by," he smiled. There was something about him that seemed awfully familiar.

The cat-man stood up and held his hand out to me. I took it and he helped me up. He shone the flashlight at my dress so I could wipe off some of the mud. "I hope you can get that out. It's a pretty dress," he said.

"Thanks. I hope so too."

"Well, good night, princess," he said. I opened the umbrella and relished in the dry feeling after what felt like a century of rain.

"Hey! Where can I return this? I can't keep it forever," I said.

He turned over his shoulder and said, "I work at the host club down the road, Le Petit Chateau. You can find me there."

Without another word, his flashlight is turned off and his black suit makes him blend into the dark Parisian night like a shadow.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Hi there everyone! It's been a while since I last posted this story and I wish I could have more written, but life loves to get in my way. Anyway, I hope I can complete this story soon because if my ideas are any indication (as well as the synopsis, tbh) there is a lot to come ^w^Thank you so much for picking up this story and I hope you will continue to enjoy it :)**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	3. Chapter 3

Under the cover of the umbrella, I made it home eventually before it got so dark that I couldn't see the ground. I had to walk bare foot with my one broken heel in hand so that I wouldn't be bothered by the unevenness of the other heel.

The shop was locked with all the lights turned off except for one light in the bedroom of the house. Alya wouldn't have locked up if she was still here, so that must mean that she left some time ago. I didn't want to text her before. I didn't want her to feel bad about telling me about the ring if he wasn't even going to show up.

But if the light was on in the bedroom, was he here all along?

I opened the door and cringed at the sound of the bell above it. Usually, I'd relish in the sound proof that my childhood dreams came true, but it only brought forth the crushing reality of what could soon be my nightmare. I closed the door and locked it again before I made my way to the stairs. I knew this place like the back of my hand, so I got around easily without the use of light. When I made it upstairs, I turned on the hallway light so whoever was home knew my presence.

"Mari, is that you?"

The door to Nathanael's studio opened up and his tall form stood in the open space. His red hair was colored at the tips with shades of blue and purple and his almost tie-dye smock covered his normal attire of a sweatshirt and jeans. Judging by his eyes, he was a little shocked to see me.

"What happened?! You're soaking wet!"

Without another word from him, he re-entered his studio and brought back some towels he used to clean himself up when working with oil paints. I took one to try and dry off my dress while he used the other to dry my tangled hair.

"I was waiting at the restaurant for our date. You remember what today is, right?" I asked hesitantly. The longer he didn't say something about tonight, the worse I felt. He wouldn't forget our anniversary. He wouldn't. He never would.

"The restaur- oh. Oh my god. Marinette, I'm so so sorry. There was this painting I had to finish really fast, but the paint got everywhere and I-"

My finger pressed against his lips silenced him effectively. He blinked twice before fear and guilt filled the green irises I've grown to love so much.

"It's okay, Nate. I'm not mad. Work is important, so I understand." I smiled at him in hopes that it would ease his pain and mine. However, I couldn't help but to look away from him. "I just wish you would have said something sooner," I mumbled.

Nathanael looked around frantically before wrapping his arms around me in a close embrace. "Marinette, I'm so sorry I let you down. I'm such a fool for doing that to you, especially on our anniversary. Look, I'll make it up to you. How about tomorrow we go out somewhere? Rose told me about this place called Le Petit Chateau. We can go there for a date; just the two of us. How does that sound?"

"Le Petit Chateau? That's a host club, right?" I asked. The cat-man suddenly came back to mind. I have to return that umbrella to him! If we go there tomorrow, I get to go on a date with Nate and return it all in one trip. Plus, a host club might give me some inspiration for a new fashion line.

Perfect!

"Yeah, is something wrong with that?" he asked.

"Not at all. I actually have business there, so this will work out just fine."

Nathanael smiled for the first time tonight. "Sounds like a plan. You should probably change out of that," he said with his eyes looking over my dress. "I wish I could have seen you when you were dry," he says with a mildly pained expression.

I caress his face to have him meet my eyes. "Alya got all the angles just in case," I smiled. He placed his hand on mine before I retreated into the bathroom for a well-deserved change of clothes.

I pressed the towel against my hair to dry it somewhat before I stripped out of the dress and into a set of my favorite silky red pajamas. The reflection in the mirror was disappointing and defeated with mascara smudges down to my jaw. I looked like a hot mess, but I didn't feel like one. I simply wiped it all away with warm water that burned on my freezing skin before returning to our shared bedroom.

Nathanael didn't meet me there, but told me to go to sleep first as he still had some adjustments to make on his latest piece.

As I curled up into bed, I flexed my left hand and imagined how different this night could have gone.

* * *

 _"Is everything alright girl? I still haven't heard the news yet."_

 _"That's because there is no news. He..."_

 _"He...?"_

 _"He didn't show up."_

Alya's ringtone resounded in the bedroom and I reluctantly swiped right on the screen. "He stood you up?!" Her voice was so loud I thought Nathanael would hear from the shop.

"He had work to do and he didn't have time to tell me," I tried to shush her.

"That's no excuse! He should know better! That's just a load of bull!" I could feel Alya's frustration through the phone and had to hold it away from my face. "I can't believe he'd do something like that! That slacker!"

"Alya, calm down. We're going on a date today to make up for it at Le Petit Chateau."

Alya's breath hitched before she spoke again. "Seriously? A host club?"

"It was his idea and when I was coming home, I ran into a guy that worked there and he gave me his umbrella. I have to return it to him and apologize for him probably getting soaked on his way home, too."

"Your kindness is going to be the death of you, I hope you know," she sighed. "Well, beep me if you need me."

"That is such a retro thing to say, but bye."

Alya hung up and as if on cue, Nathanael calls me from the shop. "Coming!" I yell back at him. I grab my purse and race down the stairs so I wouldn't keep him waiting.

"You look beautiful, Mari," he says.

Today, I decided to wear a black skirt with a plain red shirt and black sweater. It was pretty close to the ladybug theme I had going last night without going overboard. It was still the afternoon, after all.

"You're pretty spiffy yourself, Nate." He wore jeans that matched the color of his eyes with a black t-shirt and beige cardigan. He usually wore this when he wasn't going to be indulging in the stain goblins that are paint.

"So, what business do you have there?" he asked as we walked out the door. He knew the way there more than I did, so he was my guide for this excursion.

"When I was coming back, I broke my heel in a puddle and a man that worked there lent me his umbrella. I don't know who he was, but he was wearing a cat costume," I explained.

"A cat costume?" Nate furrowed his eyebrows and then let out a light chuckle. "Maybe he'll be there as a cat too. Did you catch his name?"

"No, but he might recognize me if I don't find him first. I feel bad that I took it."

"What? He was helping you out, Marinette. When you help people, do you ever feel bad?" he asked.

"I suppose I don't," I answered. I would do the same if I saw him in that position. But, he wouldn't be wearing heels. Maybe his tail would get stuck in the pot hole?

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure he's happy he let you put it to good use." He smiled down at me and held me close with one arm. I leaned on his shoulder which was a little hard from him being slightly taller than me, but we made it work. We always make things work. We're artists; it's in our blood to turn things that seem broken and unappealing into masterpieces.

I don't think our relationship was ever broken. It just always worked out. This time is no different.

"Here it is: Le Petit Chateau. Do you want to find that guy first or wait?" Nathanael said.

The sign out front was a minty green color with a golden outline and white cursive letters spelling out the club's name. The windows had flower and heart decals to appeal to the female race. I forgot that places like these are women centric, so I hope Nate isn't uncomfortable here.

Nate patted my shoulder and turned his head to the door. "Shall we?" he asked.

His geeky gesture made me smile and I clung to his arm. "After you, sir," I said. He smiled back and we entered the cafe.

The first thing that caught my eye wasn't the strange amount of pink in the building or the squeals of girls young and old in every corner. It was the cat ears sitting upon strands of gold at a couched area to the left of the door. Without saying a word to Nate, I took the umbrella out of my bag and approached the table.

"Excuse me."

Women who were once laughing grew silent and stared at me as if I was a pest. The man who joined them wore the same cat suit as the night before. He looked up at me and immediately I knew I had made a mistake.

"Can I help you, princess?"

The eyes that met mine were a muddy brown, not an emerald green and his voice was deeper and sounded older than the one from before. It wasn't him. It couldn't have been.

"Um, I'm looking for the person this belongs to." I held out the umbrella for him to see. "He gave this to me last night and wore the same outfit you did. He said he'd be here. Do you know where he is?"

The man scowled at the umbrella and looked back at me. "That's Chat's. He's in the VIP room, probably." The other cat-man pointed towards the back of the building and I thanked him before retrieving Nathanael.

"He's back here. Let's go."

Nate nodded and held my hand as I tried to find this VIP room. It wasn't hard to get to considering there was a door with those three letters plastered on it. As I was about to turn the handle, the door opened from the other side and I was knocked back. If Nathanael wasn't behind me, I surely would have fallen.

"Oh, my bad!"

"No, it's fi-"

The voice was the one from before and finally I locked eyes with the shimmering stones I remembered so vividly. He smiled a toothy grin after remembering who I was rather quickly.

"Hey, it's the damp damsel in distress. I didn't think you'd come so quickly!" He looked happy to see me which is better than the opposite.

"I wanted to return this as soon as possible." I held out the umbrella to him and he put it in the pocket it was in last night.

"Thanks, m'lady. You didn't have to do that."

"I felt bad that you gave this to a complete stranger," I muttered. Really, how could I not be? This is just giving me deja vu from what Nate said on the way here.

"It's a princes job to help any princess he meets," he says with a wink.

"Well, it's good to see people doing that," Nathanael said with a slight undertone of jealousy.

"And who is this? I don't remember him being stuck in the rain," the cat man said.

"This is Nathanael, my boyfriend. My name is Marinette, by the way. I don't think we properly introduced ourselves," I said.

"You can call me Chat Noir. That's my stage name here," he said proudly.

"It's nice to meet you," I said. Having a stage name must make him popular here, but what does that entail exactly?

"Why don't you guys come inside? We've got great food here," Chat offers.

"But this is the VIP room," Nathanael said.

"We just say that to make the guests feel special. Come on in. Don't be shy."

Nathanael and I glanced at each other before Chat cleared the way for us to enter the maybe not-so mysterious VIP room.

* * *

 **Author's Note  
**

 **I was actually having trouble ending the chapter because I still want to continue the date, but then I decided to put that in the next chapter, so if it's weird, that's why :P Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon, but with school whipping me for spending ten minutes away from homework, it might be a few more days than I'd like TT^TT Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will continue to see what happens ;)**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chat stepped just inside the door and held one hand out to signal for us to enter. His head was bowed down and I could see that the cat ears were carefully bobby pinned into his hair. As I took a step past the door, he lifted his head slightly and winked at me behind the black mask. It stuck so well to his face that I wondered what kind of material it was. Maybe I could ask him later about his outfit.

The room was dark and illuminated with purple black lights scattered around the walls. The seats and tables glowed brightly like a disco ball with snow white fabric covering the actual furniture. There were women that seemed to range from teenagers to middle-aged women seated with young men in costumes at their center. Each entertainer - as I guess that's what we can call them - had about two to five people smiling and clinging to them. I held onto Nathanael's arm all the more tightly as the place gave me a few creepy vibes.

We walked farther into the room where there was a wall outlined with white booth seats. It looked like a place where parties could be held but it was empty. "There isn't anyone here. I was about to go on break, so they all left for once. Usually, I have to chase them out," Chat explained. He pulled over an extra chair from another seating area and added it to the table Nate and I situated in.

"So they were mice and you chased them out. Good kitty," I said with a smirk.

Chat turned his chair around and straddled it instead of sitting on it properly. He rested his head on the backrest and smiled back. "You can say that, m'lady." He added a wink to that statement and I had to turn away. Why did I do that?

"Are you folks hungry? The sweets here are absolutely to die for!"

"Sure, but didn't you just say you were going on break? We would hate to keep you," Nate said quietly. Even when he was being polite, Nathanael was always so shy around others. It was pretty cute to watch.

"I did say that, but I wouldn't want to let you two eat alone on your first day here. Plus, I don't mind if I'm in such captivating company." Chat redirected his attention to me again and I felt Nathanael's hand grip tightly around mine protectively. He couldn't possibly be-

"I'll go bring some cakes over. You lovebirds sit tightly, okay?" The host skillfully swung his leg over the backrest of the chair he was sitting on and strolled over to another part of the overly spacious room. My eyes followed his movements and more specifically his outfit. It was taut, but it didn't look uncomfortable or hard to move in. Could it have been latex?

Nathanael released my hand and a loud sigh. "Sorry," he muttered as he rubbed red fingerprints on my hand. I didn't even realize he was holding on so tightly. "I didn't think he'd be such a-"

"Cutie?"

"-Playboy."

A showing green eye narrowed on mine and turned away. "Oh come on, Nate. It's just an act to indulge in the fantasies of young girls," I cooed. He made no move and I couldn't help but tease him. It was too easy of an opportunity not to.

A red painted nail of mine gently poked the cleanly shaven jawline of his. "You can't possibly be jealous of an alleycat like that, can you?" Nate's Adam's apple shifted, signaling his intake of saliva and I didn't even try to repress a giggle. "You've got to be kitten me, Nate."

He smoothed out the wrinkles in his furrowed eyebrows with his other hand to fend off the cringe. "Ugh, Mari..."

"Bon appetit!"

Chat reappeared and placed two plates of cakes in front of us. The one he picked for me was a slice of vanilla cake with black icing and red roses decorating the surface. Nate's was strawberry with purple icing and white star-like drops of icing scattered around it.

"This looks delicious," I muttered in disbelief. I hadn't seen desserts this good since I lived with my parents in the bakery.

"I told you they were to die for," Chat smirked, sticking out a tongue just like a kitty would.

Nathanael smiled at me and we each took a bite of our cakes at the count of three. "Uwah! It tastes even better than it looks!" I squealed.

"Woah..." Nate managed to say.

Chat leaned back in the seat we didn't notice he reclaimed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Told you so," he said proudly.

"Aren't you going to eat a piece?" I asked.

"Not right now. I already know how all the cakes taste. Getting to watch other people experience it is half the fun."

Nate silently ate his cake while still holding my hand on his lap under the table. If he wasn't going to make conversation, then it'd be perfect to ask Chat about his costume.

"So, why were you trapped in the rain last night? I don't think I saw you around," Chat asked, looking at the boy beside me when saying the second half of his question.

I saw Nate's fork drop slightly and his grip loosened. I set my fork down and rubbed the back of his hand with my thumb. "It was our anniversary yesterday and we were going to eat at that Italian restaurant down the road, but he was caught up at work." I tried to answer the question as calmly as possible. I knew that it made Nate feel like crap that he didn't show up and I didn't want to blame him for it. Did I think it was his fault? Not at all, but that didn't mean I didn't feel hurt. It was an honest mistake, so I want him to understand that it's okay.

Chat's glowing eyes dashed between us as if calculating us. His lips quirked into a strange smirk. "You look well today. I'm glad I found you so you didn't catch a cold."

Nathanael looked back at me once more with guilt swimming in those teal orbs, even in the darkened room. I met Chat's gaze and plastered the most genuine smile I could on my face. "That's why we're here today to make up for last night. A friend of his recommended this place and since I wanted to return the umbrella as soon as possible, here we are," I explained.

"Well, I'm glad I cou-"

Nathanael's ringtone resounded in the corner we were seated and he swiftly pulled it out to answer. "Hello? What? I'm in the middl- Right now? But, I-"

His eyes darted to me with a nonverbal plea. "I have to go," they said. He doesn't have to tell me to know.

"Is it work?" I asked.

"Uh...yeah. My collaborator needs me right now, but I don't wa-"

"Shh. It's alright, Nate. Coming here was a wonderful present. If it's important, I don't want you to hold back for my sake," I smiled.

His eyes were steady and he nodded after a few breaths before bringing the phone back to his ear. "Alright, I'll be there. I'm so sorry, Marinette."

Nathanael quickly got up and kissed my forehead before showing himself out. I watched him leave and with each step, I felt a ping of grief stab my chest.

"Does this happen often?" Chat asked cautiously.

"We're both busy people, so it's to be expected. He's an aspiring artist. He's had some work in the local museum for a time. That doesn't just come from a weekend paint session," I said.

"You must be proud."

"I am."

"You don't sound proud."

"Huh?"

A gloved hand caressed my cheek and the mask I had wondered about was inches away from my face. "You wouldn't be crying if you truly felt that way."

With a raise of my eyelid, I could feel a drop of empty warmth slither down the cheek Chat didn't hold.

"No, why would I be-"

"Two days in a row isn't enough time to heal. It's okay to be sad, m'lady. No one expects you to be this strong," he whispered.

I took a deep, shaky breath and rubbed the liquid from my face with an open palm. My purse swung over my shoulder and Chat retracted his hand as I stood up.

"Thanks for the cake, Chat," I muttered without looking at him.

I tried to make my way past him, but blurry vision and a black light lit room isn't a good combination. My ankle hooked around a piece of nearby furniture and I feel into Chat's arms. "Be careful, princess!" he said.

I gained my footing again and he let me go. "Thanks." I side-stepped around him and made it to the door.

"Hey, Marinette. If you ever need someone to talk to, us hosts are good listeners. It's part of the charm." I could feel the smile he wore through the back of my head.

"Thanks, Chat. See you later."

I left the VIP room and paid for the cake at the front of the club. Outside, it was still bright and the citizens of Paris were walking around, enjoying their lives. As I made my way back to the store, I wondered how many people here were hurting through their carefree facades just like me. I couldn't be the only one.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **This chapter is a lot shorter than the others, but I really wanted to emphasize this encounter. I hope you guess enjoyed it and continue to read on whenever school decides I've had enough stress for one year...DX Thank you to those who have been supporting this story in any way! You guys are the best :)**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	5. Chapter 5

I couldn't remember that I made it home, all I knew is that I did. The shop opened and I barely noticed the ringing in my ears of that bell. Maybe it was becoming dull. Maybe it was my senses that were dulling instead.

I kicked my heels off and almost went straight to the apartment without picking them up. If my parents didn't teach me business manners like a puppy when I was younger, I probably would have left them for the customers to come upon when entering. I sighed as I bent down to pick them up by the heel. The clock in the center of the room rung to signal the start of a new hour - three o'clock, to be exact. The store usually closes up at eight, so I could probably open shop for the next few hours. The streets were filled enough to not let that idea die.

I flipped the closed sign around and turned on all of the storefront lights. A few people who were on the sidewalk noticed the change.

I took the time to go to the bathroom that was around the corner of the sewing room to make sure I was presentable. There were traces of tears on my cheeks, but nothing too stained that a little water couldn't combat. A slight touch-up of make-up here and there and I deemed myself ready to entertain customers and sew.

In the next few hours, I barely noticed how the sky turned to pitch black. I'm glad I've found something that could take away the pain in a positive form for a time. I don't think I'd want to see what kind of thoughts could have swam through my mind if I wasn't making new clothes.

This bliss turned back into reality when Nathanael entered the door. He released a deep breath he seemed to be holding for hours and ran a hand through his hair. I left the sewing room and stood in the doorway. Our eyes met and he smiled at me, but the atmosphere was strangely awkward. It was as if we were meeting for the first time or star-crossed lovers whose gaze just happened to find the other. It was like we were from two different worlds, the distance too great.

Why would it feel this lonely? This scene was painted so often if our life. Nate would come home - often ridden in paints or textures - from a day of collaborating or searching for outlets while I would peek my head out the room with a new line ready to be reviewed on the mannequins. He'd come to embrace me and the smell of chemicals would become too much, but it was his scent, the scent I've come to love.

That scent wafted in the air, but from the edge of the boutique and not from the jacket I buried my face in. The smile he wore was the same as ever.

I returned it, but that was the end of it.

Nathanael ducked his head down to cover his eyes with his bangs and made a bee-line for the stairs. He's probably just exhausted. I made myself believe that. I needed to believe that. If not for his sake, then mine.

* * *

The days after that followed the same pattern like clockwork. I'd wake up to a note on my bedside that informed me he would be back tonight after going over his work. Each note was written hastily, but it was his perfect cursive penmanship that filled the page. I'd spend my days working the shop which didn't change. Before, I'd patiently await his return like a dog waiting for its owner. That probably wasn't a very flattering analogy, right?

One of my last customers of the day was Alya, if you could even call her that. There were a few breaking stories in the area that caught her attention, but it didn't feel lonely without her. At least I could see her on TV when she's not around.

"I picked up your copy of 93Style while I was shopping," she said, holding up the magazine with a smirk.

I squealed and hurried to rip it from her hand. The magazine was small, but it was one of my favorite things ever. Only the best of the best are featured in it and it's predictions for what the latest trends were always spot on. It was definitely a big help to my clothes.

"Look who's on the cover this month."

Originally, I thought it was just another model, but it wasn't. The cover pictured a youthful boy with slick golden hair looking at something off screen to his left. The background was dark to emphasize the paleness of his skin and the glow of his green eyes. The name of the model was written over his expensive and stylish basic black suit.

Adrien Agreste.

Alya pushed the magazine away from my face. "Pretty cool, huh?" she smiled.

"Y-Yeah...it is..."

* * *

Adrien was always the epitome was what everyone in Paris wanted to be. Kind, athletic, smart, handsome; he had it all. Many women of all ages would gladly pay an arm and a leg with interest to just be in the same building as him.

Although I hate admitting it, I was one of those girls.

In high school, Adrien and I were in the same class. I sat behind him every day and barely even noticed his existence. He was just a normal boy getting a normal education in a normal school. How was I supposed to know he was some super famous model?

I fell in love sooner than I should have. It wasn't meant to be. I don't know why I'm so foolish, but maybe I have more in common with those lovey-dovey girls than I give myself credit for.

* * *

"Girl, if you don't stop spacing out, I'm going to hit you."

"You wi-ow!"

"Told you."

I rubbed my arm and pouted playfully. "You're so mean!" I grumbled in my most petty child voice.

"Whatever," she clicked her tongue. "Do you know what's so special about this article?"

"Were you zoned out when you bought and gave it to me yourself several minutes ago?"

"His dad! He's promoting a new fashion."

Adrien's father, Gabriel Agreste, was a world-class designer. Not only that, he was one of my favorites and a huge motivating factor for me to join the design world. I had met with him on chance encounters whenever he hosted a contest. Back in high school, I was actually lucky enough to win one where I designed a pigeon-themes bowler hat. Adrien ended up modeling it, too, which was awesome and a big step in the right direction career-wise to work with the Agrestes.

"Gabriel is also making new lines. That's why everyone knows who he is," I pointed out. Where was she going by stating the obvious?

Her tan hand made contact with her forehead. "God, you're so dense. Big celebrity making big news means big reporter will make a big interview," she enunciated her words as if she was speaking to a toddler.

Instead of focusing on how she said it, I let her words process.

Gabriel was obviously the celebrity and the news would be the new line. That just leaves the reporter and the interview.

Wait.

"You got an interview with Gabriel Agreste?!" I screamed. I'd honestly be surprised if the cops didn't show up to check on a situation reported by the neighbors.

Alya put her hands on his hips and puffed out her chest. "The one and only. Not only that, every good reporter needs an assistant." She shot me a sideways glance that made me scream even more.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, Alya!" I wrapped my arms through the loops of hers and squeezed as tight as I could.

"Woah, woah, woah, there, tiger. There's a catch-"

"I'll do anything!"

"Mama needs a new outfit snazzy enough for the king of clothes," she smiled.

"Then what are we waiting for?!"

"What, now?"

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Mari's happy! Haven't seen that since...has she been happy yet in this story...? XD I think I have a kink for a depressed Marinette because she was like that when I wrote Username: Chat Noir...I may have a problem. I love how this story is turning out and I hope you do too, especially when the plots twist like a knife to the heart ;) I apologize for the chapters getting shorter, but believe me when I say that there is a lot building up right now, so please bear with me. :) Thank you so much for supporting this story!**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't believe I'm going to meet Gabriel Agreste! Can you believe it? I can't!"

"Mari, if you don't can it, I'm going to put you on the security guard's hitlist."

"Oh, you wouldn't do that!"

I hugged her arm so close to my chest that I could feel the blood struggling to pulse through her veins. Maybe I shoulder loosen my grip so she doesn't die on the way there.

Alya sighed and brushed a hand through her thick brown locks. I've always admired how full her hair was compared to my thin, silky strands. She almost never wore her hair in any other way than naturally falling and floating around her shoulder blades.

"Stop staring at me, weirdo," she said.

"What?"

"I know I look good, thanks to you, but calm down," she smirked.

I designed her outfit a few weeks back and she hasn't worn it since it was made. I was really anxious about how it would turn out, but it looks amazing right now. My hands never fail to amaze me. I made a mid-thigh length dress with two different fabrics. The torso part of the dress was made with a flower-printed felt and cotton fabric with roses, daisies, and tulips decorating it. Her skirt was a shade of rouge that complimented the flowers above. There was a secret pocket in the skirt that was large enough to fit her phone. I know she won't use it though since her phone is practically glued to her hand.

Today, I tried to keep it simple. I didn't want Gabriel to think I was trying hard to impress him but I wanted to. I also designed a new outfit for myself, even though my wardrobe consists of my creations from over the years. I wore a plain white blouse with a pink poodle skirt with mini black polka dots freckling it. I wore my hair down for once and adorned my head with a gray bowler circled with a matching pink bow.

Nathanael said it looked cute and wished me luck before leaving for work this morning.

In the time since Alya told me about the interview, I've gotten used to his absence. Through scattered text messages, he's told me what he's working on will be his greatest masterpiece and that he really feels bad about not spending time with me. Of course, I can't just say drop everything and stay with me. As important as I'd like to think I am to him, no one should ask that of anybody.

Alya has taken the other stance, coaxing me into leaving more often than not. She's slept over at the apartment a few times, mostly to tell me what she intends to do with Gabriel. Wanting to be the best reporter there ever was makes her thorough in her investigations and getting all the facts people want to know.

In this case, the people is me.

"Mari, I want you to stay close to the camera guy, alright? No jumping in asking for autographs, no flashing, no-"

"Alya!"

"I'm just saying. Weirder things have happened in this news world," she stated.

"Whatever. I just might have to stage something now that you said that," I pouted.

Alya simply smiled and we walked to the news station.

* * *

"There are so many people here!"

"Isn't it like one of those fashion shows you always go to?"

There were people sitting in foldable chairs getting slapped in the face with pounds and pounds of make-up. Alya seated herself in one of those chairs and shooed away a woman who was coming towards her. "I've already got an artist with me," she said with a somewhat diva-like tone. The woman nodded and walked away.

"That's a little rude, don't you think?" I asked. As she settled herself in the chair, she brushed stray hairs away from her face and took off her glasses.

"That's pretty normal here. It's not all that rude, really. Why waste your time on someone who's already got someone? There are plenty of other people waiting for their turn. You just made their lives easier." Alya shot me a gentle smile to repel any uneasiness. It worked and I used one of the spare make-up kits to powder her face and touch up any lipstick that her hair wiped off.

A man on a megaphone called for Alya and she handed me her bag. "Take care of this for me, Mari," she smiled.

I nodded and smiled back. "Good luck out there, Alya!" I cheered.

Alya strutted confidently towards the man with a grace and prowess I could only hope to achieve. It was moments like these when I realized how lucky I am to have a best friend like her or to have even met her in the first place. How she managed to deal with me was a mystery on its own.

Everyone around me suddenly bore wide eyes and stopped in their tracks. Eyes faced my direction and when I learned they weren't staring at me, I turned around to see what the fuss was about.

It was him.

There he was, Gabriel Agreste, in all his fashion god-like glory. An indifferent smirk filled the space between a clearly defined jawline. His grass green eyes looked observed his surroundings like a predator in prey territory. He turned his head and I could have sworn for a split second that his glance met mine.

As if someone pressed play on a TV remote, the hustle and bustle of the studio resumed with a not-so-casually deliberate path from where Gabriel stood to the set. A woman with dyed red hair and a business suit talked closely to him as he strolled over with intimidation to where Alya went. It was finally happening! This was such a huge chance for Alya. If everyone in Paris didn't know her name, I swear they would have lived under a rock.

"Hello, sir," I said quietly as he passed me.

My eyes weren't directed towards him, but I saw his long, clothed legs stop a foot ahead of me. I was frozen in place and didn't have the courage to look up. What was I thinking?! I can't just talk to the fashion guru of our generation!

"Hello, there. Have we met before?" he asked.

"Uh, yes, actually. My name is Marinette, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I won one of your contests when I was in high school - the bowler hat one. You probably don't remember that bu-"

"I do remember you. Your name has come up in my other contests, haven't they? You have a lot of potential, Ms. Dupain-Cheng."

"R-Really?! Wow, th-thank you so much! That means a lot to m-"

"Mr. Agrestes, we need to be on set," the woman beside him informed.

"Yes, right. It was a pleasure speaking to you. That outfit was a nice choice, by the way."

Since I didn't remember anything that was said after that, did that mean that I died? I think I did, anyway.

* * *

"Thank you so much for taking the time out for this interview."

"It's a pleasure, Ms. Cesaire."

"Now, I'm sure you've heard all the latest buzz about a new line of clothes coming out this fall. What can we expect from this line?"

I couldn't believe I was seeing my best friend in the whole wide world sitting and talking to my favorite designer in the whole wide world. What a small world we live in!

Alya sat with her legs gracefully crossed and a notepad and pen resting on her knee. Her eyes were sharp and locked on Gabriel, waiting for the right moment to strike with her expert journalism skills. Gabriel was equally focused on her with a smirk I had only seen in magazines. Seeing it in real life was so surreal. I couldn't tell if he was happy to be there or impressed by her confidence.

I pray that it's both.

"I took inspiration from the taint of people's hearts. There are many demons inside of us that get reflected in our everyday actions, but we never see it. What we do see is what we wear on the outside, and if we can change that, then we can change our hearts, too," he answered clearly. He leaned back in his seat and folded his hands on his knee. God, his confidence was so cool!

"Interesting. What specifically did you take away from these 'tainted hearts'?" Alya asked. Her sharpness was evident as ever.

"Anger, regret, taboo. I took the things that should never come to surface and made them into a covering for the shell that is our body. You could say that the line is like forbidden love. It should never be, and yet it is. It should be hidden, yet it is not."

Alya arched an eyebrow and smirked, jotting something done on her notepad. "How poetic of you. I expect no less from a man such as yourself." Gabriel returned a smirk at the compliment.

"For the next part of the interview, we have a few questions our viewers sent in," Alya explained, facing the camera that has been trained on her during the whole shoot.

Before she read the first question, I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. "Ms. Dupain-Cheng, I hope I'm not interrupting." The voice I found belonged to the woman who walked in with Gabriel.

"Of course not. Can I help you?" I asked politely.

"My name is Nathalie Sancoeur. I'm Mr. Agreste's secretary. After speaking to you, he asked me to pull you aside before the interview concluded," she said.

"Me? Is something wrong?" I asked. Why would the top fashion designer of all time ask for me? Please tell me this isn't a joke.

"He didn't specify, but I expect nothing bad." Nathalie offered a small smile, but it looked unnatural on her. How sad.

Nathalie waited with me until the interview ended. We stood in an awkward silence, but my focus on the two didn't falter. Alya bowed her head to Gabriel and the two shook hands for people to take pictures of. This would undoubtedly appear on the front of so many magazine and tabloid covers.

Alya rushed over to me in the boots she picked out of my closet and hugged me. "That was so sick!" she squealed.

"You did amazing, Alya! This will do you so good!" I cheered on.

"It better. That was actually kinda scary."

"What makes you say that?"

"I was wondering what you'd do to me if I messed up," she chuckled.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, ladies."

Nathalie stepped aside for Gabriel to come and join us. He nodded to his assistant and Alya in acknowledgement before locking eyes on me. His mouth turned up into a smile that was unlike what I've seen since he arrived. "I understand that you went to Francoise-Dupoint High School a few years ago, is that correct?"

"Y-Yes, it is. I was in class with your son, Adrien; we both were," I clumsily answered. Did he seriously remember me? Wait, I told him before about the contest. It's obviously a coincidence.

"I remember my son was very fond of you then. Your style is something to be admired."

"My sty- Gee, thank you so much!"

"You're inflating her ego, Mr. Agreste," Alya laughed at how flustered I was becoming.

"I'm surprised it wasn't already. You have a good heart, it seems. People like you are hard to come by these days. Because of that-" He held his hand out to Nathalie who retrieved a small card from her suit pocket. "-It would be interesting to speak together sometime, wouldn't you say?"

Nathalie handed me the card that listed his name and an address and phone number. "After the release of this line, I would like to get started on my next feat. I've seen what you can sew and have heard great things about your boutique. Perhaps a collaboration is in order."

"Mr. Agreste, we should be leaving soon," Nathalie informed.

Gabriel nodded. "Please think this over. Farewell, Ms. Dupain-Cheng, Ms. Cesaire."

The two walked away but my eyes were still focused on the spot he stood in moments ago.

"You did it, girl!"

Alya playfully hit my shoulder, but all I could feel was an insane rush of adrenaline.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Woo, three days in a row! That hasn't happened in...what year is it again? But seriously, the support on this story is just insane and I love each and every one of you that reads it. Let's hope I can keep this streak up until I finish it lest I don't update for another century (^_^"') I hope you enjoyed this chapter and continue to read on!**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	7. Chapter 7

"We have to go and celebrate today. There is too much awesomeness to be left unattended. Mari, answer me. Stop staring at space and look at me. Hey."

"Yah!"

Alya clapped her hands inches away from my face and scared the life out of me. I screamed and jumped back. When was the last time I moved? My body felt like it was being weighed down with stones.

"You've been staring at the air forever. Let's get out of here!"

Alya pulled me by my wrist and dragged me through the throngs of people trying to prepare for the next shoot. People bumped into us left and right, especially with Alya dragging me through any opening she could find, but I was still very much in shock to even care. Once we made it out of the studio, Alya released me and I rubbed the red marks below my hand.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Well, today is pretty sweet, so let's go get some sweets," she smirked. Before I could speak, she grabbed my other wrist and began walking.

"Why don't I just design a leash for you to put around my neck?" I asked sarcastically.

"That's not a bad idea."

"Ugh."

* * *

"Alya, why are we here?"

"You mentioned it before and my mom says this place is pretty good, too."

"What was your mom doing in a host club?"

"Let's not talk about it."

The familiar minty green sign loomed over me with women walking in and out the door like clockwork. From the window, you could see various men in extraordinary outfits. The most eye-grabbing one was a pitch black body-suit and cat ears near the window. Didn't Chat stay in the VIP room?

"Is that guy Chat Noir?" Alya asked. I told her about him whenever she pressed me to leave Nathanael. She said she wanted to pay him a visit on her own, but she never told me if she did or not. Maybe she's taking this chance to come.

"I think so. He wasn't in the front dining area last time," I answered.

"Then where was he? Is there some sort of secret room?" she asked.

"Something like that. That's where Nate and I were."

"Oh, like you could pull off something like that," Alya said. Was that really necessary?

Alya and I walked in together with Alya leading us to the cat-eared boy. He was seated at a dining table in the middle of the room with women young and old outlining the white cloth. "Hello, Chat," I greeted quietly.

The ladies stifled their laughter from whatever transpired and looked at us. The man with cat ears looked up at us and I realized once again that it was not the Chat that I was looking for.

"Oh, it's you again," he said with a disappointed expression behind his mask. Alya wore a naturally irritated look and I squeezed her arm to prevent her from lashing out about manners.

"Um, sorry for the confusion again," I muttered.

"M'lady! I didn't expect to see you here." A gloved hand roughly fell on my shoulder. "Welcome back! Ooh, did you bring another guest?"

The real Chat Noir stood between me and Alya and smiled at the seated Chat. "Sorry to interrupt, but I'll be taking these princesses to their castles now," he apologized. The brown-eyed cat glowered at him before returning his attention to the ladies who swooned over what could potentially have been twins.

"Why is he dressed the same as you?" I asked as we walked away from the faux-Chat. "I ran into him the last time I was here."

"Theo has a little bit of a jealous nature. The master allowed there to be two of us since my character got so much attention. That's why he's in the front to attract customers and I'm in the back to entertain more freely," Chat explained.

"He needs an attitude adjustment," Alya grumbled.

"That's part of Theo's charm - the bad boy. He's not all that bad when you get to know him, but he's not too fond of my popularity."

"You don't sound too fond of it either."

Chat blankly stared at me before walking ahead to open the door to the VIP room. "It's not that I hate it as much as I hate that people dictate my true self by the mask." Alya and I exchanged a confused look and entered the VIP room.

"Woah, this place is pretty lit!" Alya complimented. She nodded and swayed her body as if she was surveying how well a rave was.

"Why thank you, princess," Chat bowed to her.

"None of that, thanks," Alya said.

"Oh? Does this princess already have a prince?" he asked.

"Yeah..." Alya sighed dramatically as if she was unhappy. She knew damn well that she was happy with Nino. They'd been a high school romance before they even got together. After high school, they finally cleaned those thick glasses of theirs and realized they were into each other. They lived together for a time and own an apartment together, but Nino doesn't stay in one place for long. He followed his dream of being a DJ and travels around France performing and entertaining. From what Alya tells me, he saves all of her articles and never misses her broadcasts, even when he's far away.

And she calls me a nerd.

"You should bring him along next time. Marinette already brought her beau," Chat stated.

"That's the rumor," Alya said. She shot me a sideways glance and I looked away reflexively. Somehow I remembered that I forgot Nathanael left halfway through our date.

No, I can't let that get to me. Today is life changing and you are going to celebrate it with your best friend!

"Have a seat, ladies." Chat pulled our chairs out for us and wandered off towards the cakes, most likely to bring something delicious yet again.

"He's cute," Alya cooed like a schoolgirl.

"I guess."

"Maybe he's a model. His personality is so flashy and that outfit isn't normal," Alya examined. Her eyes were locked on Chat through the darkness that seeped between the black lights.

"It's not supposed to be normal. It's supposed to induce feminine fantasies," I scoffed. I still don't see the appeal of it all just for that reason. Sure, this place was atmospheric and the costumes were well designed, but aren't these women just using the hosts?

"I'm sure the women feel appreciated here."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Here you are, princesses. Sweet vanilla and chocolate cakes for the sweet ladies," Chat flirted. After putting down the cakes in front of us, he pulled out and straddled a chair in the same fashion as before.

Alya dug in right away and was already sighing blissfully at the taste before I picked up a fork. "Damn, they were right about this place!"

"I'm glad the famous Alya thinks so," Chat winked.

"You know me?"

"Of course. Even alley cats like me turn a TV on once in a while," he smirked.

"Maybe this place isn't as cheesy as you think, Mari," she turned to me.

A rolled my eyes and began eating my cake. "Whatever," I mumbled with the fork still in my mouth.

"He he, you girls are very energetic."

"We better be. We're celebrating today!" Alya announced. "I just finished an interview with the world-class designer Gabriel Agreste and Marinette just landed herself a collab with him!" she made her presence known to the other patrons as a sort of self-plug.

"Alya, pipe down! We're in public!" I whisper-yelled to her.

"I'm sorry Ch- Chat?"

For once, his charisma seemed to have vanished from him like he was a perpetual loner. His green eyes suddenly looked lifeless and sunken like he had been crying for hours. He looked so cool and collected and now he lost all of that.

"You okay?" Alya asked.

Chat's eyes snapped back open and there was a slight return of his old self. "Y-Yeah. Sorry, I guess I got distracted. You know how cat's attention spans are," he laughed nervously. Did we say something to offend him?

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about me, m'lady."

There was an awkward silence as we continued eating until my phone buzzed in my secret skirt pocket. Even Chat looked a little surprised when I pulled my phone out of seemingly thin air.

 _"Mari, where are you? I got off work early and came home and you're not there. Hope you're okay ~Nate"_

"What is it?" Alya asked with a mouth full of cake.

"Nate's home."

"But it's like three-thirty."

"That's your boyfriend from before, right? Does he work that late?" Chat asked.

"Oh, he works late, alright," Alya started.

"Alya, please," I pleaded. I didn't want to hear the same argument over again, especially in front of Chat.

"What? He ditches you every day, even on your anniversary, and you still stay with him!"

"It's work! He has to do what he has to do!"

"Work isn't his girlfriend!"

"Marinette, how does it make you feel?" Chat interjected.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Are you happy? With him, I mean."

"What? Of course I am. He's my boyfriend. We've been together through thick and thin and this isn't going to change it," I said.

I couldn't bring myself to believe my own words. It felt forced. It felt like someone in the back of my mind was making me say these things. Even so, I couldn't bring myself to say otherwise. I would be lying if I did. But, if being happy and unhappy isn't true, what is?

"He must miss me, too. I should go see him. Maybe we'll make up the time we lost," I said. I sent him a response and finished the last few bites of cake while Alya protested.

"You can't be serious. He's just going to leave again. Mari, I don't want him to hurt you!" Alya said.

"Marinette, do what you think is best," Chat said calmly.

"Chat, what the hell are you saying?!" Alya yelled.

"It's her decision. If she wants to go, we shouldn't make her stay. That'd be arguably more cruel than letting her go."

"But-"

"He could leave, but he could also stay."

Chat looked sternly at Alya who wanted so badly to fight back. Uncharacteristically, she sighed and sat back in the chair. "Fine, go ahead. But if he takes on step out of the store, you're coming to my place, got it?" she said.

I smiled at her and then at Chat. "Thank you," I bowed my head.

Unlike last time, I left the club with newfound hope and joy.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **And here we are for a fourth day. I wasn't planning on ending it here, but I also wasn't anticipating a fight between Alya and Marinette. Welp, here you go anyway XD Thank you so much for sticking with the story and I'll be nice and give a few clues about what to expect in the next chapter - Nate and Mari angst, a collab, and a (tragically) romantic backstory. I wonder how many people I hyped up for (hopefully) tomorrow ;) Thank you so much for sticking with this story. Out of the over 100 stories I've written for this site in the past almost four years, this one made it into the top 10 which wouldn't have happened without you guys, so thank you so much!**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	8. Chapter 8

"Nate! I'm home!"

I hurried up the stairs while stripping myself of my shoes to avoid falling. I had to tell him the news, I had to tell someone the news, I had to tell everyone the news! But wait, it wasn't official yet. Gabriel just told me to think it over. It's nothing too serious, just to see if we would work well together on a new fashion line.

Who am I kidding, though? There's no way I would ever turn down a chance to work with the one and only Gabriel Agreste!

After calling his name several more times, my redheaded roommate peaked out of the studio door with green smudges on his cheeks. "Mari, are you okay? You look really flustered."

I stood at the top of the stairs practically jumping for joy as I held out the business card to him. "Check it out, Nate!" I screeched. I really needed to calm down, but I did not see that happening anytime soon.

He pried the card from my fingers so he wouldn't bend it with my bouncing and read it aloud. "Gabriel Agreste, world-acclaimed designer...is this what I think it is?" A green eye lit up as it made contact with my sky blue counterpart. I nodded furiously and Nate brought me into a hug that took my feet off the ground. "I'm so proud of you Marinette! This is exactly what you've been working so hard for!"

I giggled from either his affection or the adrenaline rush of having my reality be confirmed yet again. He set me back on the floor and handed the card back to me. I wonder if the craft store sells picture frames this small. Was that maybe taking it too far?

"So, what happened? Did you go up to him yourself?" Nathaneal asked. Guiding me by the hand, he took me into the bedroom where he sat down on the bed while I began changing into my night clothes.

"Well, while I was at the interview with Alya, I introduced myself and I guess he remembered that Adrien was in our class. He even knew about the boutique and said he heard good things. Good things! Then, he said he would be interested in working on a collab once he finishes up with the one the press is all over right now. I can't believe this is actually happening!"

Once I was comfortable in my pink and red spotted nightgown, I flopped on my back on the bed beside Nathaneal. I took a deep breath and relished in being still for once since the interview. Nate's red hair obscured my vision of the ceiling as he leaned down and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"I'm really proud of you, Marinette. You've been waiting for this since high school. You'll do amazing, I know you will." He smiled at me and for the first time in a while, it felt like the weird heartache I've been feeling lately was all a dream. It felt like we've always been like this and everything else was part of a bad dream.

Nathaneal curled up beside me and ran a gentle hand through my hair until I fell asleep, whispering sweet words until my dreams were filled with our happy times.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you? I don't want to call you later and find out that you bailed again."

"Alya, this isn't like high school when I couldn't give Adrien that stupid love letter."

"You also tried to give him a birthday gift and Valentine chocolates that ended badly."

"Well, this isn't about Adrien, now is it?"

The bantering had been going back and forth between us all week. I called the number on the card and set up an appointment after it had been two weeks since the interview with Gabriel. Waiting too long would make it look like I blew him off while not waiting too long would look desperate. Nathalie seemed like she was expecting my call when I spoke to her, but it could be my imagination.

That thing was running wild since day one.

"All I'm saying is there better be a deal sealed when I hit you up later. Got it?" Alya said. She firmly placed her hands on my shoulders to ensure eye contact. Her penetrating gaze made me feel like a child getting scolded by their parents.

"Alright, alright. I won't screw this up. Have a little faith in me," I brushed her arm away.

"I do have faith in you, but you don't have faith in yourself which has me concerned. But, if you think you got this, I'll trust that you'll do great things." She gave me a warm smile before pulling me into a tight hug. "Go get 'em, Mari."

"I will."

Alya let me go and walked her way to the news station for work while I went in the opposite direction to the Agreste mansion. It hadn't changed much since high school with its high fence and tall marble white walls. Had I been a tourist, I would have been taking pictures in front of it for social media purposes.

I stood in front of the fence and looked up at the tallest floor of the building. Memories of when I stood out here started to refamiliarize themselves to me but I had to shake them away. They could not and would not ruin this day. The past was in the past and I intend to keep it there.

* * *

 _"Okay, so based on my findings, Adrien should leave the school around 2:30 which gives you about five minutes of alone time between here and his house. But, you need to act fast in order to get there before anyone else does. You got that?"_

 _I nodded with a determined glare and tightly held the pink box in my hand. It was 2:00 now and there was nothing that would stand in my way of confessing to him._

 _As cliche as Valentine's day was, it was still the perfect opportunity to start a budding romance. I mean, who would think the perfect day was something like March 10th?_

 _My palms were sweating a little bit and Alya reassured me every few seconds to make sure I wouldn't lose my will. It was a good thing she was there or else I would not have had the strength to keep up._

 _2:15 rolled around and the dismissal bell rang. At lightning speed, I bolted out of the classroom and out of the school._

 _His route home for when he didn't have his driver was fairly logical with him only following the main roads. Luckily, any road in Paris had a perfect view of the architecture and globally known monuments to make any atmosphere romantic in seconds. I walked down two blocks from where he would go so that we were far away from the school that there would be no distractions._

 _I checked the clock on my phone to make sure I was on time. 2:25. It was almost time._

 _My heart started pounding out of my chest and I paced back and forth on the street to save face. Was this really happening? Would he accept the chocolates? Would he accept me? Or would he reject me in broad daylight because of who I am?_

 _God, where was Alya when I needed her?_

 _"Adrien, come on already! There's something I want to show you!"_

 _That shrill voice made me cringe and hide instinctively in a small alleyway close to where I was standing._

 _"Chloe, I really need to get home. I have a lot of work I need to do today."_

 _That voice that was so soft like an angel's wing drew me out of the alley for a quick peak. There one the street corner was the love of my life with a bee-colored leech hanging off of his arm. Her face was burrowed in his shoulder with her arms snaking around his neck. Her blue eyes were half-lidded and her lips pursed as if she were pouting like a child._

 _"Adrien, everyone needs a break sometimes. Why don't we take one together, hm?" Chloe cooed._

 _His emerald eyes scanned the area for an escape, I know they did. But when they fell upon the other blonde again, it was when their lips met in a forbidden caress. The confidence that Chloe had to kiss him in the middle of the street in the middle of the day and me sitting behind a building I didn't even know holding a box of chocolates I made myself, it was as contradicting as yin and yang. Adrien didn't pull away or maybe he couldn't. I couldn't stomach seeing that scene for longer than I had._

 _There was no chance I could beat her. She had everything I didn't and she still couldn't make Adrien hers without force. How was a passive klutz like me going to do it?_

 _Against everything I had done that day up until then, I dropped the chocolates and followed the alley to the main street on the other side to return home._

* * *

"Ms. Dupain-Cheng, we have been waiting for you."

"Ah, thank you. I appreciate you setting time aside to meet with me."

"Don't view it as a charitable action. I am pleased with your work. Teaming up with someone of your talent is always worth my time."

Nathalie and Gabriel led me through the long and winding halls of the mansion to what looked like a large dining room. The walls were white just like every other room in the house and a long mahogany table with matching chairs filled the center of the room. Behind the end chair where Gabriel sat was a portrait of him and his wife and son. The three looked happy in the picture, especially Adrien. He looked much younger just like he did in high school with vibrant green eyes I haven't seen before. It was like looking at a baby picture in an old photo album.

I took the set next to Gabriel and Nathalie found her place standing behind her boss. "Now, I would like to discuss what plans you have for yourself," Gabriel starts.

"For myself?"

"Yes. Someone of your caliber must have some future plans to take the world by storm. I'm sure your customers are very pleased with the results of your work."

"You flatter me too much, Mr. Agreste. As for plans, I suppose I'm living the dream as it is. I wanted to have my own place to do my own things since I started designing and that's exactly what I'm doing now. Whenever I have inspiration, I have free liberty to make what I want," I answered. It was a loaded question and I'm sure I could have gone on for hours, but I needed to look like I knew what I was talking about and that I wasn't some obsessive fangirl (although I am).

"You don't have any plans to go professional?" he asked.

"I mean I wouldn't hate the idea of it, but it would take a lot more guts than I already have to do so." I prayed to any god that would listen that that was a decent answer.

He scratched his chin and that small, innocent action made my stomach turn in knots. "You lack the confidence to do so, is that it?"

"I uh, yes, you could say that," I stuttered. This conversation was going in the wrong direction now, wasn't it?

"I see. Well, the one good thing about working with others is to find people with your weaknesses as their strengths. I have the connections and you have the youthful inspiration I have been looking for. If you would humor with your ideas, I would be glad to give you opportunities to present yourself to the rest of the world," Gabriel said.

Everything sounded perfect to me. He would get someone who he thought was talented and I would get to work side-by-side with my all-time favorite designer. It sounded way too good to be true.

"That's very generous of you, but if I may ask, why did you choose me?" I asked.

"Why? Well, some local designers have brought your name up in meetings as they strolled through the city and I remember your name coming up in most of my contests. You were also a classmate of Adrien's who brought you up numerous times. I am not one to believe in fate, but seeing your name appear so many times in the last few years must be a sign of some sort and seeing what your hands can do shows great promise. One would be a fool to pass an opportunity such as this."

"I-I don't know what to say. I never thought I would be recognized to such an extent," I muttered. If he wasn't right next to me, he might not have heard me, but I feel the blush on my cheeks would have given me away.

"So, Ms. Dupain-Cheng, would you like to work with me?" Gabriel asked.

"Yes! One hundred times yes!" I didn't hesitate at all and it must not have sounded as desperate as I thought it would by the way he smirked.

"I look forward to it," he said.

We both stood up and shook hands, effectively sealing the deal in my eyes. With our meeting now closed, the two led me back to the front entrance, making idle chat as we walked.

"Thank you once again for having me. It is an honor to be working with you," I said for probably the millionth time.

"It is no troub-"

"I'm home!"

The large front doors at the end of the stairs flung open and all eyes stared at it. They automatically closed and in the foyer stood a lean blonde man in a plain t-shirt and jeans with a backpack slung over his shoulder. Forest green eyes met mine and it seemed like all motion in the world stopped.

"Adrien? Is that you?"

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Well, well, well, look who decided to rise from the dead and update again? I just love how I always say I'll update and then go off the grid for a century or two, but here's some consolation for my absence. I sincerely hope I can finish this story quickly and with grace because of how much love ML deserves and for the people who have been supporting it since day one. I want to thank everyone who has read the story up until this point and hope that you will continue to keep up through my weird and random hiatus' in the future v.v**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	9. Chapter 9

The backpack slipped off a lean shoulder with a resounding thud in the foyer. The blonde boy scrambled to pick up with a rising blush on his cheeks. His emerald eyes found mine again when we recomposed himself.

"Adrien, you're home early," Gabriel spoke.

"Oh, yeah. I finished what I needed to today," he answered. I hadn't heard his voice since high school and it was still silky enough to give me butterflies. Could you even describe a voice as silky? That sounds weird in retrospect.

"Do you remember Ms. Dupain-Cheng?" Gabriel asked, holding a hand out in my direction as if it weren't obvious enough that I was standing directly next to him.

"Yes! Er, I mean I do. We did sit a desk away from each other in school after all," Adrien answered. It could have been my imagination, but his answer sounded pretty excited. Who am I kidding? Why on earth would he be excited to see me after so long?

"Well, she and I have decided to do a collaboration for the upcoming season. You'll be helping with the modeling again, right?"

My neck turned at a speed that I thought would snap it. It was a high school dream of mine for Adrien to wear my clothes. Wait a second, that came out wrong. It was a dream for him to wear clothes I designed is what I meant to say. God, my mind is all messed up.

"Of course, father. It'll be nice working with you, Marinette," he smiled at me. The younger me would have fainted by now for sure. Alya would be proud of me right now.

"Well, I'll be seeing Ms. Dupain-Cheng out now," Nathalie spoke up.

"I can do that, Nathalie," Adrien chimed in. He raised a hand as he said that before retracting it and scratching the back of his head.

"Are you sure?" the assistant asked.

"I'm down here anyway and it'll give us time to check up a bit."

Nathalie looked at Gabriel for guidance before he shrugged. "Alright. I'll leave her in your care then," Nathalie said.

"It was a pleasure to see you again. I'll keep in contact," Gabriel said before him and Nathalie walked out of the foyer.

Now, it was just me and my high school crush. What could go wrong?

He opened the grandiose doors as I trotted down the stairs high off of the feelings from today. Adrien held the door for me as I passed the threshold and entered the outside world.

"How have you been, Marinette? I've heard a lot about what you've been up to since school," Adrien asked.

"You've heard about me?" I asked warily. How could he have heard about me? We're others talking about me without my knowing? And what things were they saying?

"Of course. Everyone I've talked to is impressed with how you opened up your own boutique. Now you're working with my father. The world isn't as big as I thought it was, huh?" he chuckled.

Right, boutique. Of course that's what people would talk about. Seriously, what is up with me right now? "Yes, the shop has been doing really well. Everyone was such a big help to me when I was trying to get it off the ground," I said while avoiding eye contact. Did it sound like I was bragging? Maybe it did.

"I'm sure Nate was a big help, too. How is he doing?" Adrien asked.

The name alone snapped me out of my thoughts. Shouldn't that have been the first thing I talked about? I mean I love Nate and we've been together through so much. How could I let him slip through my thoughts?

"Did I say something wrong? Are you two still together?" he asked in a concerned tone this time.

"No! I mean, yes we are still together. He's doing fine, though. He's been busy with a new project lately, so we barely get to see each other is all," I said. I tried to sound as peppy as possible, but the concerned emerald eyes staring back at me showed me that my acting was not as good as it should have been.

"Are you alright with that, Marinette? Jobs are important but so are relationships."

I swept a piece of hair away from my face and smiled. "Of course I'm alright. He's doing what he loves and in the meantime, I'm supporting him and doing my own thing. I'm sure the collab with your father will keep me busy enough for the time being."

Adrien let out a breath and didn't look like he was buying what I was trying to sell. "It sounds like you're compromising, but if you're really okay with it, then I guess I'll support you, too." He smiled at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Enough about me. What have you been up to since high school?" I asked, changing the subject around.

"I've been doing well. I have a ton of modelling jobs now that school is out of the way and I spend my free time focusing on myself," he answered. He hesitated on the second part of his statement but he was probably just being modest. Typical Adrien.

"Alya keeps stopping by the shop whenever she sees you on the cover of a magazine. She insists that she wants me to see the newest trends they write about but she just never grew out of the high school gossip phase," I replied. It was hard throwing Alya under the bus like that but she wasn't here, so who cares?

"Really? I didn't think anyone read those tabloids. I'd rather watch her show for news anyway. Nino won't shut up about it whenever his girl is on," Adrien laughed. I did too, knowing Nino was always like a proud mother whenever Alya was on TV.

Laughing like this with him really brought back memories to high school. I can't remember the last time I just had a nice chat with someone other than Alya and Nate since they're the ones who really stuck around after graduation. I could feel my chest growing really warm at the familiarity of the situation.

"Well, I don't want to keep you waiting. You must have more important things to do today, so I'll let you go. It was nice seeing you again, Marinette," Adrien said. He smiled and held out a hand which I took and shook.

"It'll be nice working with you, Adrien," I said.

Adrien smiled and the two of us walked in different directions with him returning to the mansion and me turning down the street towards the boutique. The walk home didn't feel long at all when I reached the door in what felt like a few minutes.

As expected, the boutique was empty and quiet aside from the bell chiming when I opened the door. I heard a crash from upstairs and angry muttering before loud footsteps clamored down the stairs.

A flash of red zipped down the stairs at a speed that was enough to snap an ankle or two. Nate flipped his head towards me with his face red and breathing heavy. "Oh, Mari. Sorry, I had to come back and get something super fast. I have to hurry back."

He ran towards the door and stopped again once he was on the sidewalk. "Love you, see you later!" he shouted before running down the street into oblivion.

I didn't even have enough of a chance to respond. That was so quick and weird.

I turned back from the street to the now entirely quiet shop. A sigh escaped my lips along with the warm comforting feeling in my chest from my conversation with Adrien. Everything will be alright, I tell myself. Everything will be alright.

* * *

 **Author's Note  
**

 **Happy New Year! One of my resolutions for this year is to write more than I did last year and I think starting the year off with a new chapter of this story is a great kick off. I know it's been a long time since I updated and details will be fuzzy, but please bear with me and soon the story will be completed ^_^ Thank you everyone for the continuous support of this story. It means so much to me :)**

 **Until next time, sayonara~!**


	10. Chapter 10

"Alya, I've been working with him for a week now. It's not a big deal anymore. We're just friends."

"I'd bet my kidney that that isn't true, hon. This is literally your teenage dream come true. Maybe this is your chance."

"Chance to do what, if I may ask?"

We turned our attention to the costumed cat who returned to our table with a small plate of cupcakes for Alya and I to share. It was Alya's idea to come to the cafe to catch up in peace again. I don't see why she wanted to meet here when we could have easily done that back at the boutique since Nate hasn't been there for the last few days.

"Her man is being flakey and she got a great opportunity to move in on someone she had her eye on in high school," Alya said matter-of-factly.

"Alya!" I chastised. I didn't have a problem with her answering Chat, but did she have to make it seem like I was desperate enough to leech onto Adrien?

"Ooh, that sounds scandalous!" Chat smiled. That black cat just loved hearing about gossip and mischief and my best friend was too much of a social butterfly to not oblige.

"You know Adrien Agreste? That super famous model and Gabriel Agreste's kid?" Chat's green eyes flickered at the name but he nodded. "Well, we went to school with him and Mari here had the biggest crush on him. Like, posters on her wall and knowing his schedu-"

"Alright Alya, he gets it. I was crazy! Is that what you want to here?" I covered my face with my arms to shield myself from the embarrassment. Only the girls in our grade really knew the behind the scenes action and they supported it because girls do that.

Chat must think I'm a psycho now for having pictures of a high school boy taking up more space than wall. When I peaked an eye through the crease of my elbow, I saw his emerald orbs widen with a small smile decorating his lips. It was a smirk or something remotely callous. It looked like he was happy, actually happy. Was it that amusing?

"Didn't we all have a phase like that?" he asked softly. Was he feeling secondhand embarrassment or something? I know I was.

"Sure but she missed her chance years ago and now Adrien is the main model for the fashion show they're preparing for to display her works. That's a lot of time being close to your dream boy when he'll probably be half nak-"

"Woah, not going there, Alya!" I practically screeched.

"I'll stop, but Chat, you have to agree this is a perfect opportunity for her to leave that block headed artist," Alya said before taking a bite out of a chocolate cupcake.

For a second, it looked like Chat was at a loss for words. "Well, that's up to Marinette and obviously if Adrien wants to be with her, too."

"See? Adrien probably has models lined up for him!" I pitched.

"But, if they find they have a good chemistry and he makes her feel the way she deserves to feel, then I see no problem with it. But, ultimately it's your decision what you want to do."

"Yeah, do you want to be with the model you loved as a teen or the boy who isn't even staying in your apartment for the week?"

She asks that it's a black or white question. The two are bleeding together so much that the gray area is overwhelming.

"What are you working on?"

The door to the dining room opened and a head of blonde hair waltzed in.

I had spent the last few days working at the Agreste manor on designs for the line. I didn't want to be at home where anything could remind me of the loneliness. Nate told me he was staying at his studio so he could finish the paintings in a more timely fashion than having to keep running back and forth from the apartment. It sucked being apart so much but he had to do what he had to do.

Luckily, Adrien was here to fight off that loneliness.

He sat across from me and looked at the designs I laid out around me while I was drawing the one I was currently working on. He glanced at each one carefully and made a face I just had to comment on.

"Is something up?" I asked. He didn't look too impressed with the designs and I was nervous for his answer.

"They're great designs, but there's a lot of blues and blacks that you're using. What's the theme for the line?" he asked with a hand on his chin. I know he wasn't the most fond of his dad, but their mannerisms were so similar sometimes.

"I haven't decided yet. Usually, I'll draw whatever I'm feeling and a theme will come from that. I don't really like having guidelines for my inspiration. It feels more authentic if I let my feelings and hands decide what it should be."

"So, what are you feeling?" he asked.

I spent a second thinking of a word to describe it but I couldn't think of anything. Sadness? But, I wasn't really sad. Why else would there be so many blues for?

"Stuck?"

I nodded shyly. Adrien pulled out a chair and sat down, pushing the designs away gently so the only thing between us was the table. His green eyes stared intently back at mine. "Does it have something to do with Nathanael?" I averted my eyes at his name. "Hit the nail on the head, huh?"

"I'm fine," I muttered weakly.

"That's exactly what people who aren't fine say. Has he been treating you differently?" he asked.

I shook my head. "He doesn't treat me like anything. He hasn't been home for a while for work, but it's for his dream so I'll support him," I answer.

Adrien's expression changed to one I can describe as pain. "That's not how a boyfriend should be, Marinette. He should at least come home once in a while to see you, to make sure you're okay," he said.

"It's for his dre-"

"His dream, I know. But, his dream should have enough room for you too if that's what he really wants." Adrien reached over the table to grab one of my hands that were lifelessly laying there. "Someone like you shouldn't just be abandoned like a second thought."

I didn't know what to say. I didn't think Adrien would care that much about my relationship with Nathanael. They were somewhat friends back in high school anyway.

"Thanks for the input, but I'm fi-"

"Ms. Dupain-Cheng, how are the designs coming along?"

The door opened once again and Gabriel entered the room, standing at the edge of the dining table. I shook Adrien's hand off of me and gathered the completed designs together before running over to him and handing them over.

Gabriel looked over them with an expression of indifference. "These are good. I expected no less from you, but don't you think there should be more life to these pieces?" he asked.

"More life? In what way?" I asked.

"I'm no stranger to the themes of darkness and despair. The last line was called Tainted Hearts for example. Perhaps a good direction to go into would be some type of redemption with more light colors than the black and blue of the world. I'm sure someone as purehearted as you would know what that should be like," he explained.

With that, he handed back the designs and exited the room as swiftly as he came in. Adrien walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"I know you can do it, Marinette. You just have to let your heart guide you there."

He smiled and left me in that room alone again. Why was it that even though I was standing by myself in that large open dining room that I left less lonely than before?

* * *

 **Author's Note  
**

 **Another chapter within a week. I haven't died off just yet XD I was hoping to bring more light into Mari's life by giving her some time with Adrien this chapter. If I follow my notes correctly, then the story should be wrapping up shortly unfortunately. I want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story since the beginning because your continued support means the world to me.**

 **Until next time, sayonara** **~!**


End file.
